Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time--Liturgical Cycle C

First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Gospel: Luke 12:13-21


Lectionary Readings


Homily

Here is a person who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill who must leave his property to another who has not labored over it.

These words announced in today’s scripture must surely be among the saddest words in all the bible. Yet it is a truth which we all must certainly face.

In one way or another we all must leave those things over which we have cared so lovingly to others. And all we can do is just hope against hope that they will give themselves to the task with equal enthusiasm and concern.

It may be old age or sickness, and most surely and finally death itself, that tears us away from all those things and persons over which we so carefully and graciously hovered.

Recently I left a wonderful people as pastor of St. Margaret Mary parish (across from Oxmoor Center in Louisville) and took the pastorate of the churches at Campbellsville and Greensburg in south central Kentucky. Fr. Wafzig and Fr. Bowling could only hope that I would give the same loving care that they had, and I, for my part, could only hope and pray that those taking my place would continue the same care and concern I had for my former parish. Changing pastorates is like a little death and keeps us pastors from ever falling into the temptation of thinking that we are indispensable; that no one can take our place.

And that, it seems to me, is the message of the scriptures today. To think we are indispensable is vanity of vanities. “You fool, this very day your life will be required of you!”

The teaching of Jesus is clear. We must do our best over those things over which we are given stewardship. We must labor with wisdom and knowledge and skill, with all the talents at our command, those talents with which we are blessed, and in the end hand over to others what God has shared with us.

Since you have been raised up in company with Christ, set your heart on what pertains to higher realms where Christ is seated at God’s right hand. Be intent on things above rather than on things of earth.”

--Fr. Pat

Excerpt from "A Catholic's Companion: Liturgical Cycle C" (c)2000 C. Patrick Creed
Published by Watchmaker Press. Maggie Hettinger, editor